9 dead, 54 cars set a blaze after oil tanker explodes in Nigeria

- Another vehicle rammed into the van causing the leaking oil to ignite

- Fire spread out quickly setting a blaze 54 vehicles

- Nine people lost their lives including one child in the unfortunate incident

An oil tanker exploded in Lagos, Nigeria on Thursday, June 27, evening setting 54 cars on fire during rush hour and killing at least nine people including 8 adults and 1 child after it's breaks failed.

The tanker is reported to have crashed into a passenger car and caught fire on a busy bridge on the Lagos Ibadan Expressway, a route used by commuters living on the outskirts of the city.

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A report by CNN indicates the incident was confirmed by head of the Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA) Adesina Tiamiyu

"Unfortunately, nine bodies were confirmed dead and recovered from the scene (eight adults and a minor) and four persons sustained various degrees of injuries and were taken to the hospital," Adesina said.

According to eyewitness account, the fire started after a car rammed into a bus which had crashed with the oil tanker causing the petrol to start leaking, the blaze quickly spread from vehicle to vehicle.

"Petrol started leaking. A bus ran into it. The fire hadn't started then a car ran into the bus which caused the fuel to ignite. Suddenly I heard a loud 'blam!' " Oludare Adodo narrated to CNN.

"In the distance, I could see several vehicles trying to maneuver and turn back on the road," he said. "Some folks were abandoning their cars and running, and those closest to the tanker were simply merged into a wall of red." he added.

Nigeria's President Muhammadu Buhari said he was "very sad to learn of the tragic loss of lives".

"Sadly, this seems to be one of the greatest tragedies we have seen in recent times," he said in a statement.